Central Saanich residents packed municipal hall Monday night to have their say on a controversial development but left in frustration after the public hearing was cancelled.
“I’m not trusting the process right now. I believe that the members of the public are here to speak, and they should be able to speak,” said resident Jennifer Wear.
Central Saanich residents filled municipal hall Dec. 9 intending to make their voices heard on a proposal by Aryze Developments for 1934 Hovey Rd. which would feature 197 units in two buildings that would house seniors, veterans and health-care workers.
The affordable housing project was planned in collaboration with the South Vancouver Island Housing Society and the Royal Canadian Legion.
The decision to cancel the public hearing followed a recommendation from staff who received new information Dec. 3 from the applicant, noting that the development application would be revised in response to community input.
The revision proposed reducing the height of a seniors’ building from six storeys to four. At the time of the meeting, however, council had not yet received the updated proposal from Aryze Developments. “It wasn’t our intention to delay or frustrate the process – we were simply responding to what we heard throughout our continued engagement process,” said Melanie Ransome, Aryze’s director of marketing and communications, in a statement to the Peninsula News Review.
“We are committed to finding common ground – and compromise is a key tenet in doing so. We look forward to sharing how these changes have improved the proposal and its ability to provide much-needed housing for veterans, seniors, and health-care workers across Central Saanich.”
The knowledge that new information was forthcoming put council in an awkward position, without the full picture of the development plan.
“Ultimately, I think it’s not democratically sound for us to receive information on a public hearing when details like height, setbacks, proximity to farmland, and the design specifics are not known,” said Coun. Niall Paltiel.
“I don’t think anyone on council or the public predicted this, and so in the spirit of ensuring that both council and the public’s understanding and expectations are aligned, I think council made the best decision they could out of a lot of bad options tonight.”
The hearing was originally intended to allow public input on amending the district’s official community plan (OCP) to redesignate five properties from “neighbourhood residential” to “multi-unit residential.” If approved, the amendment would enable a new supportive housing project consisting of two multi-storey buildings, including market rental units along with housing for seniors’ veterans and health care workers, to move ahead.
Central Saanich residents came out in droves, filling the municipal hall while many watched a live feed from the district fire hall. Despite this, council voted 5–2 to adjourn, with Couns. Newton and King opposed.
Ironically, many residents previously divided on the issue were united in disappointment at council’s decision.
“Building affordable housing shouldn’t be this complicated or take this long,” said Scott Duchak, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Victoria. “I think this is a unique project that balances surplus land from a legion, and it accomplishes their goal for seniors’ housing plus affordable rental housing. So, I’d like to see the project proceed.”
A sense of distrust was palpable among residents.
“They’re delaying, delaying, delaying, and they’re hoping people will give up because as winter comes, it’s tougher and tougher to come out,” said Carmen Augustini, a Central Saanich resident.
Despite the frustration, Paltiel assured residents that the decision was made in good faith.
“There are no tactics of any kind here. It’s just about good democratic process and land-use policy, and having a public hearing on a half-baked plan is bad policy.”
While many were disappointed, the message resonated with some residents.
“I feel OK about this decision,” said Brian Smith, a resident living on Hovey Road near the proposed site. “At the next public hearing, they’ll talk about the OCP and the zoning bylaw and put it all into one. We all have more time to prepare. It’s a neutral thing for me.”
It remains unclear when a new public hearing will be scheduled, as council must wait for a more complete development plan from the applicant.
“I think tonight we effectively pressed pause, wagged our finger at the applicant and said, ‘Come back with a full picture and a full story,’” said Paltiel.
“If they do that and council decides to forward it, the public will get a chance to be heard.”
Editor's Note: This article originally stated the housing project was planned in collaboration with the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation. The foundation agreed to share information about available housing in Central Saanich, but was not consulted with or partnered on this project. The foundation has no agreement of support, formal or informal, with Aryze Developments.
